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You don’t have to wait for the newspaper any more to check the marriage licenses.

The Pulaski circuit/county clerk’s website, pulaskiclerk.com, has been upgraded. In the last month, the page — which had previously featured only voter registration information — has started offering access to court docket entries for criminal and civil cases and marriage licenses, some going back to 1985. The information is searchable by name or case number, and plans are in the works to expand the program to include probate cases, minister credentials and domestic relations cases.

Clerk Pat O’Brien said that by the end of the year, web surfers should have free access to full, digitized court records online, with the archive going back to April 2005.

A nu job

Add Paul Novicky’s name to the list of Little Rock chefs who’ve left the world of fine cuisine to flip burgers. A source tells us Novicky is buying Continental Cuisine, which owns the Purple Cow concept, from Paul Bash and Ed Moore. A press release issued earlier this week said Novicky is indeed leaving Nu Cuisine Lounge as executive chef and co-owner, and said he was looking at pursuing a casual family-oriented business, which would fit the Purple Cow.

Other changes are in store at Nu as well: The restaurant will close on May 4 for renovations to both its decor and menu.

Campaign payroll

Mike Huckabee’s exploratory committee filed its first quarterly report this week and his fund-raising of $540,000 put him well down the list of presidential contenders. But he’s operating cheaply, with only about $170,000 in expenditures.

Some things don’t come cheap, however. The filing indicates that campaign manager Chip Saltsman is being paid $7,500 every two weeks, or $15,000 a month. If that continues for a year, you do the math.

Other notable pay includes $5,000 a month to an Alice Fraker. Is that a name we hadn’t known previously for long-time press aide Alice Stewart? Seems possible, since we couldn't find here name elsewhere, but we hadn’t gotten an e-mail response to the point at press time.

Wesley Clark, the retired NATO commander from Little Rock, writes critically today in the Washington Post about Donald Trump as commander in chief.

More by Arkansas Times Staff

In this week’s episode, Antwan and Charles provide perspective and conversation on the ongoing contract negotiations between Little Rock Education Association and Little Rock School District regarding Fair Teacher Dismissal Act, the Little Rock Mayoral Runoff Election, and lack of coverage of white nationalist’s rally. In addition, they interview Sgt. Willie Davis of the Little Rock Police Department regarding importance of community policing and his involvement in the O.K. Program, a mentoring program for teenage black males.

In this week’s episode, Antwan and Charles provide perspective and conversation on the 2018 local elections in Little Rock and Central Arkansas.

Out in Arkansas’s hosts Traci Berry and Angie Bowen talk about all the things because all the things are LGBTQ things. This week they talk about the outcome of the mid-term elections and finding positives in even the smallest steps of progress, as well as what comes next. It doesn’t stop with our votes! Thank you for listening! #outinarkansas #beinggayinthesouth #dontbeadouche #beadecentperson

Latest in The Insider

Old habits die hard. We may have a new Republican majority in the legislature, but like the old Democratic majority, it still doesn't hurt to have a lawmaker spouse to land a part-time job during the legislative session.

When we first asked Gov. Mike Beebe about the "circuit breaker" idea out of Arizona (automatically opting out of Medicaid expansion if the feds reduce the matching rates in the future), he said it was fine but noted that states can already opt out at any time, an assurance he got in writing from the feds.

An interesting controversy is brewing in Conway Public Schools, periodically a scene of discord as more liberal constituents object to the heavy dose of religion that powerful local churches have tried to inject into the schools, particularly in sex education short on science and long on abstinence.